Shannon and I experienced our first Christmas Eve at the Polo field last year after reading a letter her grandfather, Dick Harrell, wrote to her father Chris reminiscing about how special the tradition was for their family of 9 for 15+ years. We were one month from taking over as owners of Flow Yoga studio at SOM and Wilson Mills Road, and we couldn’t have anticipated one year later we’d be opening a second location in downtown Gates Mills. In October, our customers began letting us know about an opportunity to expand into the Old Livery Tavern, ensuring Gates Mills yogis could continue to practice in this beautiful space while providing our growing yoga community access to additional class times and formats. After a tour of the studio and a few business meetings at Addie’s Cup, we were sold.

Flow Chagrin River will open January 1 and offer a range of classes catering to all ages and skill levels, from restorative, gentle and chair yoga, to blend, hot power vinyasa, and child-friendly classes for yogis to practice as a family. The beauty of the space also lends itself to wellness workshops and yoga-themed private parties with custom classes followed by brunch or happy hour snacks catered by our favorite Gates Mills eateries. Members will be able to use their passes at both Flow locations, adding more times and formats to fit their schedules and interests. 

Shannon and I support local small businesses, and we’ll be reaching out to other small business owners to find ways to partner. We welcome the Gates Mills community to our Open House January 4 for a full day of free yoga for anyone interested in trying a class. Our daily class schedule will start January 5, but we’ve added two New Year’s Day classes to kick off 2025 with movement and meditation. 

The people we’ve met this first year through daily practice, wellness challenges, book club, free community classes, workshops, and weekend retreats have been our favorite part of owning Flow. We’re excited to grow this community with more of our Gates Mills neighbors. You can learn more about our offerings and how to sign up for classes on our website flowyogastudiocle.com/flow-chagrin-river, by following us on Instagram or Facebook, or by emailing kevin@flowyogastudiocle.com.